The Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) has launched several tutorials to aid claimants with the claim process. Two instructional videos have been posted describing the necessary steps for requesting weekly payments, including both Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) and Regular State Unemployment Insurance (UI). The tutorials can be found on the GDOL website under the PUA landing page (https://dol.georgia.gov/pua) at Request PUA Payments Tutorial or under the individual claims landing page (https://dol.georgia.gov/individual-claims) at Request Regular UI Payments Tutorial.
“Claimants receiving a correct weekly benefit amount is largely reliant upon their request for payment each week and the accurate submittal of certification questions,” said Department of Labor Commissioner Mark Butler. “The US Department of Labor requires us to ask specific questions and sometimes those questions are difficult to understand. We are working to adjust some of this verbiage based on feedback we have received from applicants to better explain what information the federal government looking for, and we have created these tutorials with explicit instructions in hopes to provide clarity to the claimant when answering the necessary questions.”
The GDOL released statements summarizing unemployment benefit data over the past eleven weeks. $4,590,761,768 in state and federal benefits have been paid to claimants across the state. The number of weekly initial state UI claims has been trending downward for four out of the past five weeks.
Commissioner Butler also addressed confusion surrounding educational workers and unemployment benefits once the academic year ends. The Official Code of Georgia (O.C.G.A.) Section 34-8-196 prohibits the payment of benefits to educational service workers during regular school breaks, holiday recess, vacation periods, and in between school terms when the individual has a reasonable assurance of returning to work. Butler states: “The law is clear on eligibility during regular school breaks and in between school terms. Nonetheless, an employee is always able to apply for benefits and eligibility will be determined based on the details of each individual case.”
While GDOL career centers are still closed until social distancing measures can be implemented, the staff continues to answer phones and emails. Job listings compiled by the GDOL and various employers can be found at EmployGeorgia.com, and other resources for reemployment and filing unemployment claims can be found at dol.georgia.gov.
The GDOL also identified the following common mistakes people make during the claim filing process and when requesting weekly payments:
- On Question #4 on the PUA Weekly Payment Request, claimants are reporting their PUA payments as compensation thereby reducing their weekly benefit payment. This question is asking if the claimant has received unemployment insurance from another state or federal program other than PUA. Do not include PUA or the additional $600 Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) payments as weekly income.
- On Question # 8 on the PUA Weekly Payment Request, claimants are reporting social security benefit payments as income from any retirement, pension, or annuity. This question is asking if the claimant received a pension payment from an employer whose wages were used to establish their claim or the last employer from which they were separated from. Reporting social security benefit payments is not required.
- On Question #6 on the Regular Weekly UI Benefit Certification Page, claimants are misunderstanding the job ending inquiry that asks if the job you worked ended because there was no work for you to perform during the week. This question is asking if your job ended because of lack of work. Most of the time, this is the case.
- On an individual claim, requesting a payment before the claim is processed will lock a claimant out of the system requiring a staff member to unlock the account to allow the claimant back in. Wait to request payments until after you receive your confirmation that your claim is processed.
- Claimants are filing multiple claims when they do not immediately receive a UI Benefit Determination. A UI Benefit Determination is released after the claim has been processed. Filing multiple claims requires individual attention and account maintenance from the GDOL extending the time for the release of payments. Do not file multiple claims.
- Claimants eligible for benefits are failing to request payments. A request for payment must be made weekly to ask the system to release a payment. Claimants need to request payments for all eligible weeks.
- Employers are not changing the dates on the weekly employer filed partial claim spreadsheet upload. Failing to change the date will request another payment for a week already uploaded and paid and will not request payment for any new week.